Bride of Zarco

Stranded in Madeira, Samantha found herself under the protection -- and, far more annoyingly, under the thumb-- of the lordly Joao Goncalves Zarco, the local lord of all he surveyed. The situation came to a head when he announced that she must marry him. One half of her wanted to agree; the other half realized it was madness. What answer would Samantha give?